What a pope called before they gave him name pope?

Answer 1

It is important to note that the title pope is from the third century, and it is the older title "Bishop of Rome" that actually confers primacy in the Roman Catholic church.

This questions has two aspects: first the history of the title "pope," and second the common practice for choosing papal names.

A brief history of the usage of the term POPE:

Marcellinus (d. 304) is the first Bishop of Rome whom sources show used the title of "pope". In the 11th century, Pope Gregory VII declared the term "Pope" to be reserved for the Bishop of Rome.

Early bishops occupying the See of Rome were designated "Vicar of Peter" (St. Peter being considered "Prince of the Apostles" or leader of the apostolic Church); for later popes the more authoritative-sounding "Vicar of Christ" was substituted.

Papal Names:

The Roman Catholic Church has a long history of giving "religious" names to those who take religious orders. In some cases when additional responsibilities are conferred new names are taken.

Papal names have specific significance as the first leader of the Roman Catholic church - Peter- was born Simon and had his name changed by Jesus Christ when called to serve.

Not all popes have selected Papal Names, and many cases we only know of a pope by his papal name as his history is lost or only known since his role as pope.

In the modern era Popes spend lots of time choosing a Papal Name that reflects their expectations of the role, or to represent ideals they want to emulate.

This Wikipedia article lists all the popes and their personal names:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_popes

For a thorough discussion of the Papacy please read this Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope